# Chapter 69
It was quite a chaotic letter. Despite Arden’s persistent attempts to stop him, Rite insisted on writing his own opinions on the second page.
‘It’s not something you should apologize for, but something I should apologize for.’
Seeing him speak so firmly with a serious face, Arden reluctantly gave permission, only to find comments he’d never authorized. Discovering playful notes about the lost baby tooth, Arden let out a small sigh.
After reading Pini’s reply, they abandoned the plan to board the train when it stopped midway. If the train stopped after traveling nearly 10 hours, the distance was much farther than Arden had thought. Walking that far would present too many difficulties.
What remained was negotiating with the station attendant. Arden wasn’t reassured by Pini’s reply and decided to go on a reconnaissance visit. Since he also had some debts to settle, Arden headed to the village.
The first place he visited was the general store. Quickly entering to avoid potentially encountering the man who might be at the smithy, he found the partition beyond the store was completely quiet. Without the clanging noise, the general store felt much calmer and more static than before. Through the glass doors, he could see dust particles dancing in the soft sunlight streaming in. It hadn’t been cleaned at all.
Arden quickly surveyed the store. Something with a similar price point that couldn’t be misinterpreted. Arden found an item that met his criteria, completed the purchase, and left the store. Even then, the smithy remained silent.
Just a little further from the alley with the general store toward the square was Jack’s shop. It was a modest building, a one-story structure with a small attic attached. Arden observed from a distance. Though his eyesight wasn’t good enough to see clearly, he could make out someone standing inside the shop.
As the person inside turned around, Arden quickly approached the front of the shop. He placed a wrapped gift next to the door.
‘To Jack.
From Arden.’
A simple note indicating who it was from and to whom it was addressed fluttered slightly in the breeze.
‘I’m not asking for much. You know there are times when just having someone beside you gives you strength. Would you let me play that role for you?’
Arden remembered how desperate the voice had been.
When living in a confined space seeing only limited things, it’s natural to easily give your heart to unfamiliar things. Arden thought that Jack and Rite had something in common.
The gift Arden bought was an umbrella. In a village where it snowed almost every day, it was something no one bought or sold, but it sat awkwardly in the corner of the general store, as if rain showers were unfamiliar here.
It might continue to rain in this region, and even if it didn’t, if Jack ever left this place to travel, it would be necessary.
‘Mine has passed already. It’s spring, you know.’
‘Congratulate me next year.’
In the end, Arden couldn’t celebrate Jack’s birthday, but it felt uncomfortable to leave just like that, as if he were leaving with a debt. It’s better to do things properly. Arden quickly left the front of the store before Jack could discover him.
Walking out from Jack’s shop to the main road, the train station was on the left. Since Arden rarely had reason to come out this far, this was the first time he was properly seeing Winterishe’s station.
The clock tower that rose sharply, as if testifying to past splendor, was the tallest building in the village. Currently weathered and faded by winter winds, it surely wasn’t like this in the past.
While Arden was contemplating whether it would be alright to enter the station, someone came out from inside. It was a person wearing a worn blue jumper and hat, with an unkempt beard. He came out holding a beer bottle and sat on a bench in front of the station.
He perfectly matched the description Pini had written in the letter. Arden looked around. The station was located at the very outskirts of the village. Although it wasn’t quiet behind the station where the temple was, the area in front was desolate without a single person. Except for one person—the station attendant.
Arden bit his lip. Though the plan had only been to scout, this seemed like a good opportunity. With a determined expression, as if having made a decision, Arden approached the station attendant.
“Hello.”
“…Ah. I was wondering who it was.”
“It seems you know me.”
“Of course I do. Aren’t you a famous figure in the village?”
“Could I have a word with you?”
The station attendant’s eyes slowly looked Arden up and down.
* * *
Trains departing from Winterishe Station didn’t run every day. Even on days when trains ran, there was only one per day. In the early morning, a train that had departed from Menden would arrive, then leave again for Menden in the evening. This was inconvenient for Arden and Rite, who needed to go to the station while avoiding people’s eyes. It was difficult to avoid attention unless it was dawn or late night.
“We’ll leave in the morning.”
Rite silently looked at Arden in response to his words. How? Arden didn’t miss the question that appeared in those purple eyes.
“I’ve finished talking with the station attendant. We’ll take the train that arrives in four days. He said none of the tickets for that day have been sold yet. He agreed to come and let us know if any tickets happen to be sold on the day.”
“…How? And what if other people board the train with us?”
“We’ll have to wait for another day. We’re looking for a day when only the two of us board the train.”
There was no one in Winterishe who wasn’t struggling financially. Even Markus, who owned an automatic carriage, was sensitive about money. Arden knew the villagers well and thought that proposing a negotiation wouldn’t be too difficult. The issue was how to steer the negotiation to his advantage.
For things like this, it was better to finish quickly rather than drag it out. Arden needed to name a price that the station attendant would accept without hesitation.
‘A total of 1,000 bram.’
It was quite a large amount for turning a blind eye. Nevertheless, the station attendant crossed his arms and leaned back against the backrest. It was a gesture indicating he wasn’t satisfied.
‘A thousand?’
Arden had no intention of raising the amount further. He was about to embark on a journey with uncertain duration and cost. The expenditure of 1,000 bram alone was already giving Arden a headache. Besides, showing room for negotiation might leave him vulnerable to manipulation by the other party.
‘There’s no negotiation on the amount.’
It was a bluff. Being good at hiding expressions was helpful in situations like this. When Arden crossed his arms with an indifferent face, the station attendant’s gaze wavered.
‘If you’re not interested, I’ll look for someone else.’
Arden pulled his chair back. Just as he was about to stand up, the station attendant spoke.
‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it.’
After that, things didn’t deviate from Arden’s plan. As the conversation was concluding, Arden added an extra condition.
‘If I return safely to this village, I’ll give you three times this amount.’
The station attendant’s eyes gleamed at Arden’s words.
‘If people find out that I’ve disappeared, there will probably be an uproar. But if you keep quiet, no one will suspect that I took the train. They’ll all think I went deeper into the forest.’
There was a separate reason for saying this. With this, Arden had gained someone who would voice opinions in his favor even after he disappeared. If the villagers were to suspect Arden’s escape, the station attendant, with money at stake, would insist that he went into the forest.
It was uncertain how long the station attendant would keep their deal confidential. However, the sum of 3,000 bram would delay any betrayal. It would take additional time for word to travel from Winterishe to Moran where the Emperor and knights were, so Arden could buy quite a lot of time.
The 3,000 bram, though not yet paid but promised, served that purpose.
“We’ll go to the station early in the morning and spend time there. The deal is with the station attendant, not with other cleaners or staff, so we need to hide. The place with the fewest people is…”
Arden began drawing a cross-section of the station on the notebook. He remembered and reproduced the drawing the station attendant had made yesterday.
“Here. A platform that isn’t currently in use.”
As Winterishe lost its vitality, the interior of the station also gradually reduced the space it used. Currently, only one platform was in use, and according to information provided by the station attendant, other areas weren’t even properly cleaned.
“The train departs at 6 o’clock. The station attendant will come to inform us of the situation at 5:50. If no tickets have been sold, we’ll depart as planned; if tickets have been sold, we’ll return to the cabin.”
“Just how much did you give him, Arden?”
Arden, who had been smoothly explaining the plan, closed his mouth at Rite’s question. It was quite a large expenditure, but there was a way to resolve it.
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
“Arden.”
Rite’s voice was serious. Arden didn’t know how to react whenever Rite was like this. It was because he wasn’t used to the grown-up appearance that had suddenly returned to him.
Whenever Rite, who had completely shed his boyish traits and taken on the appearance of a young man, called out to him, Arden couldn’t properly meet his eyes.
“I wish you wouldn’t try to shoulder everything alone.”
“…”
“I may be more inexperienced than you, but I still want you to trust me. Even if I’m not quite reliable yet, I’ll prove myself to you… so…”
Arden just stared at the notebook. He could feel Rite’s gaze fixed steadily on him, but he couldn’t lift his head. His naturally taciturn nature meant it didn’t appear particularly awkward, but he wasn’t sure how it looked to Rite.
“Stop trying to hide things from me.”
“…I didn’t particularly intend to hide anything.”
“Then tell me. How much did you give that station attendant?”
Arden pondered for a moment. Was Rite knowledgeable about economics? Having watched Arden work while following him around as a child, he wouldn’t be completely ignorant, but since he’d spent a long time just reading books at home, it was hard to tell.
“1,000 bram.”
Being honest was always the least troublesome. Having come to that conclusion, Arden stated the amount, and Rite’s face immediately crumpled.
“You gave that much?”
“I’ve only given 500 bram so far. I agreed to give the remaining 500 bram before boarding the train.”
“That’s basically the same thing.”
“It’s not an extremely large sum.”
“It’s more expensive than a magic tool.”
“…No. Expensive magic tools cost more than that.”
How does he know the price of magic tools? Arden, flustered, hastily made an excuse, but Rite’s face didn’t soften.
“It’s a larger amount than the magic tools we use.”
“No, that one was 950 bram…”
“That’s similar.”
Arden closed his mouth. He swallowed words like ‘when I make unfavorable deals, it usually costs more,’ ‘this was relatively cheap,’ and ‘I promised to give an additional 3,000 bram if we return.’ After all, he wasn’t even sure if they could really come back.
Thinking that far, Arden’s mouth turned bitter. Even if he didn’t want to think about it, it kept coming to mind—how miserable the future might be for both him and Rite.
